Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1887-02-16

is at the breast. This is why COW,
from fright or worry, or loss of her
calf Or change of mixers, "holds up"
her milk, simply because she has not
yet secreted it, and while that restless,
uneasy condition lasts it is actually
impossible to give down her usual
flow.
Hop Raising.
Hops were introduced into the
| British North American colonies soon
after their settlement by Europeans.
| They were used in brewing home made
| beer, and for domestic purposes.
Within the past twenty years the
| product has greatly increased, owing
brewers, and In some parts of the
country it is a staple crop. While
am not disposed to argue the health
fulness OF strong beer as a beverage, /
| do think that glass of cool, we'll
made domestic small beer is not bad
| to take on hot day, and that
small patch of hops should exist on
every farm.
The time for plnting hops in New
England is about the first of May, and
they should be in rows ranging from
six to eight feet apart, with two poles
for each hill, and two vines for each
pole. The plants may be procured
from cuttings, or from the seed. Those
procured directly from the seed are
preferred in England to cuttings, as
being more luxuriant in their growth
when matured, and much less liable
to be affected by the blight. Plants
raised from the seed will not require
to be poled till the third year, while
those raised from cuttings will be
ready the second year. The latter is
the method almost universally adopt
ed in this country. These cuttings Or
layers, are procured without much ex-
pense, and are taken from fields al
ready in cultivation, usually at the
time of the spring dressing, by taking
the head Of the root and the upper
branches which form near the top of
the ground, and are called runners.
The head of the root is undoubt-
edly to be preferred, as being larger
and more vigorous; but it is not
always practicable to obtain
sufficient number of these, and the
runners are therefore used with them,
| 4AOOO 1OAAOlS OIL
full of joints, or eyes, and are cut in
pieces containing two or three sets Of
eyes each. These are planted at the
intersection of the roWsin the field, by
placing three or four in hill at little
distance from each other, and may be
laid down horizontally and covered
with earth, or set IN perpendicularly
by making small hole in the ground
with astick, and the earth then pressed
around them. AS the plants require
no polling the first year, and do not
produce any crop, the ground may be
planted with corn between the rows,
This will give three-fourths of corn
crop, which will be cultivated in the
usual manner, ard the hops hoed at
the same time. Nothing more will be
necessary the first year.
The field will be ready to be poled
the second year, which should be done
as soon as the frost is out and the
ground settled. The poles should be
from 18 to 25 feet in length, according
to the strength of the plants, and usu-
ally consist of cedar, pine, spruce, ash
or chestnut. Cedar poles aregenerally
preferred, as combining both the de.
sirable properties of lightness and
durability. They are sharpened at
the bottom with d regular taper, and
firmly set in holes made with heavy
crowbar, two poles to a hill, standing
about foot apart, north and south
if practicable. The tops should be in
clined a little apart, as this will give
the vines more room, and prevent
their becoming intertangled.
AS soon as the vine is of sufficient
length, it is coiled around the pole
and fastened by tying, for which pur-
! pose a piece of woollen yarn is most
suitable. This operation should be
repeated from time to time, as may be
necessary. Two, omit small three,
vines are sufficient for g. pole, and all
extra vines should be cut of, or pulled
up, so that the whole force of the
plant may be directed to those on the
poles. The ground should be kept
perfectly clean between the hills by a.
free use of the pillow or cultivation,
worked both lengthwise and across the
field, and the hills should be kept en-
grass. This should be done without
hauling dirt to the hills, as these
should be left quite bare till after the
disappearance of the grub, which fire.
quently preys upon the vine just at
the top of the ground, and will COM
monty be found to have finished his
work early in July. Then the field
may be hilled, after which it should be
left till the picking season arrives.
| The hop is an enduring plant, and
it is said that some fields in England
have been cultivated with it beyond
the memory of man. Stillit is deemed
best to renew the field once in about
twelve or fifteen years. as the plant